Typewriter keyboard



Oct. 16, 1928.

E. S. LARSON ETAL TYPEWRI-TER Km-150m) Filed Jan. 2'7, 1927 2 Sheets-sheaf 1 W, it; n; mm n ,5 g M v 2 1,, 7

R F W M 2 w@ xfm akko uwq Patented Oct. 16,1928.

UNITED STATESPATENT oFluca.

EMIL s. LARSON, or STANTON, AND FRANK L. DINSMORE, or'rnnsco'r'r, IOWA.

TYPEWRITER KEY-BOARD.

Application filed January 27,1927. Seri al 110,164,066.

This invention relates to the class of typewriters and pertains particularly to a boardconstruction.

The primary object of this invention is to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth,

a typewriter keyboard in which the keys are divided into two groups, one group being controlled by the right hand and the other group by the left hand, eachcrow of keys of each group being inclined'upwardly from one side of the machine to the central portion thereof thus so positioning the keys to .con-

form to the natural position assumed by the a 'acter embodying this invention, forty-oneof hands when extended to position overthe board.

As is of course well known, typewriters at present in use have all of the keys of each row arranged in the same plane and when placing the hands in positionto type it is necessary to twist the wrists and forearms 1n order to bring the hands to proper position.

'This produces a muscular strain .which is often times very pronounced, particularly with the beginner.

Aiful'tllel' object .of vthis invention is to produce a key boa-rd having the foregoing advantageousfeatures, which will entail no greater expense in construction than key boards of the present type. t I 7 Numerous other objects andadvantagesgof this invention will become apparent as the description of the same proceeds and the invention will be best understood from "a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings taken in connection with this s pecification w ith the understanding how- I ever, that the invention 1s not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings but may be changed or modlfied so long as such changes or modificatlons mark no material departure from the salient feakey . Figure 4 is a front elevational view slotted key bar guide plate. i

Figure 5 is a detailed perspective view of of the a key and the bar associated therewith.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, numeral 1 indicates generally a typewriter of conventional design having the usual key-board frame 2 projecting forwardly thereof, within which frame the type operating keys are arranged In the key-board construction of the charthe forty-two type operating keys are divided into two groups, a right hand group of twenty-one keys, indicated by the numeral 3, and a left hand group, of twenty'keys indicated bythe numeral 4, the forty-second key :of the board standing alone'as will be, hereinafter described. This lone key is indicated bythe numeral 5 and as shown is the Y key,

which key occupies substantially the central position of'the key-board group;

Referring to Figure 5, a single key-button and supporting bar is shown, which may ingly. 1 Each of these keys comprises theujpstanding portion 6 which merges at its lower'end with a right-ran ularly relatedportion 7, the.

rear end-0f whic portion 7 isconnected to the elongated bar 8 by the intermediate portion 9; lVhenthe key lS lIIFPOSltlO II in the ty writer the bar8 extends'horizontally from t e front to the rear thereof and is connected to a type carrying arm (not shown) by the link member 10, the lower portion of which link member is pivotally connected to the bar 8 through the medium of the lug 11. Under 'normal conditions, thatv is in the ordinary typewriter, the portion 6 whichsupports the key would be arranged in vertical position,

however, in the present key-board construction the portion 9 is slightly bent to one side thus causing the portion 6 to be inclined to the right of the key-board. From this it will be readily understood that all of the keys 3 which compose the right hand grou will be inclined in the same direction and t e upright portion 6 of the keys of each row are of gradually increasing length from the outer to the inner end of the row thus causing the group to gradually decrease in height from the inner to the outer portion thereof.

The keys 4 which make up the left hand group have the upstanding portions thereof which correspond to the portion 6 of the key and bar structure shown in Figure 5, inclined to the left, thus arranging this group of keys with the surfaces thereof sloping downwardly from the inner to the outer side of the keyboard;

The Y key is arranged vertically between the right and left hand groups and thus in a manner stands apart from these groups.

The key bar guide board is indicated by the numeral 12 the lower edge of which board has cutth'ereinto aplurality of slots. These slots are arranged in two groups, one group extending from one end of the board, to a point adjacent the center thereof as indicated by the numeral 13, the slots of this group being inclined to the left or adjacent end of the board. The other group of slots is indicated by the numeral 14 and these slots'are inclined to the right as shown and a single vertical slot 15' is formed at substantially the central portion of the board. 1

,It will be read'ly understood that the group of slots 13 which areinclined to the left are designed to receive and guide the outer portions of the key bars of the right hand group while the slots 14 are designed to receive and guide the key bars of the left hand group, and the central slot le'receives the bar of the central key '5. '7 I From the foregoing description, it"will be readily understood how by forming the keys into two groups or banks which gradually increase in height to the 'central portion of the keyboard, the strain incident to the use of a flat key board is overcome.

Having thus described our'invention, what we claim is:

' 11A typewriter key-board having the keys of each transverse row of gradually increas- 1ng height from each end to the central portion of the row and having those keys upon side, said excluded key being positioned yertically substantially centrally of the key board, and a key bar guide plate having a plurality of slots formed inlthe lower edge of the same for the reception of the key bars, I

said slots being arranged in two groupscor- "responding to said key groups, and a central vertical slot to receive the bar ofthecentrally positioned key.

8. A typewriter key board wherein the keys are divided into two groups arranged on opposite sides of the transverse center of the key board and a single central key positioned between said groups, each row of keys of each group running longitudinallyof the key board being of gradually decreasing height from the inner to the outer srdeof the group, and means to guide said keys upon actuation in planes perpendicular to the planes of in clination of the rows.

4 type writer key board of the character described, including key bars, each terminating in the forward end in an upwardly extending portion, wherein the keys'aredivi'ded into two groups arranged on opposite sides of 1 the transverse center of the board and a single central key positioned between said groups, each of the key bars of each group having the upwardly extending portion thereof incline'd away from the transverse center of the key board, and'means .to support the key bars to cause movement of keys in planes perpendicular to the key edge.

tur'es.

EMIL S LARS ON; V FRANK L. DINSMORE.

In testimony whereof we our signa- 

